Now or Never
by Origami Love
Summary: Following the perspective of Scott. Sara Ryder might have taken Andromeda by storm as their pathfinder, but now she needs to own up to some hard truths with her brother. (Sibling feels. Post game story spoilers.)
1. Chapter 1

His blue eyes snapped open, the bed sheets felt as though they were constricting his every movement. It was like being back in that chair with the Archon all over again. Having been relentlessly forced to go against everything Scott believed in. The torture was nothing compared to what would have happened if they had failed though. Forcing himself to sit up quickly he winced, hand going down to hold against his abdomen. The sudden movements caused a sharp pain to shoot throughout his entire body.

The gentle hum of the ship around him soothed his mind. It helped him to ride through the temporary pain he'd caused himself. Scott exhaled slowly while he regathered his bearings. He was okay, he was fine. At least his dad's sleeping quarters were silent. Lexi had tried to insist he stay in the medbay to be monitored, but Scott knew that bed would be needed for someone more urgent. Their people didn't make it out of the war unscathed. It wasn't like he was falling apart or dying, just needed to rest was all. Of course that didn't help Lexi's concerns about any lasting effects from whatever the Archon did, but he'd made promises to check back in with her and have her do all the testing she wanted. Scott already regretted agreeing to that. At least he was alone, or thought he was.

Only the dimmed emergency lights were on overhead, keeping the room mostly in total darkness. He could barely make out the sleeping figure, but he could already tell who it was by the silhouette of her ponytail. Sara sat in the chair across the room from him, slumped over the table and soundly asleep. Usually the slightest noise would have jostled her awake, being the light sleeper that she was, but it seemed as though the day's work of saving the universe had really taken it out of her.

 _"Hello, Ryder"_

The electronic voice seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "SAM… hi" he replied quietly, mumbling out the words in a hush to avoid waking his sister. His hand moved from his abdomen to run over his tired face, removing some of the sleep from his eyes. "How long have I been out?" he asked, unsure of what time it even was.

 _"A little over eleven hours. Sara gave orders for you to not be disturbed you until you had awoken. Scanning suggests your vitals had spiked, should I contact Dr.T'Perro?"_

"Please don't" he grumbled under his breath. The last thing he needed was to be poked and prodded some more. Now more alert he trained his sights on Sara, watching her body rise and fall slowly. "How is she?" he kept his voice to a whisper. A small frown etched his features with the question. They'd spent little time together since he'd come out of the coma. Barely touching base on the clusterfuck of Sara's journey so far. He'd found other ways to source the information, none of it being good.

 _"Her vitals are reading normal"_ SAM paused before speaking again, as though they were processing their next _"She's as well as one can be."_

As surprised as he was to hear a more natural response, Scott didn't feel much comfort by that answer. Realistically though he knew he wouldn't have been comforted by any answer. That was his sister sleeping at the table, his twin. It would have felt like he'd lost part of himself if he'd lost her. Slowly and quietly he shuffled out of the bed, bringing his legs over the edge to plant firmly on the ground. They'd left him to sleep in his clothes from the day before. He could really do with a shower and getting something to eat, but the thought of actually exerting energy to do either of those things put him off making any effort to get further out of the bed.

His hand reached out to scoop up the datapad from the bedside table. It was becoming quite the hobby while he'd been between jobs on the nexus. Catching up with Sara's adventures through the news was really his only way of keeping in the loop. She'd told him some things, but he knew how busy she was. Meridian really was a wonder, so many postings of the war and their new home. With each flick of his wrist a new posting appeared. One more wild than the last. She'd achieved so much already.

Scott continued to browse through the catalogue of first hand accounts and stories. Reading what people had to say about their pathfinder. He stopped about halfway through to find an image of the first broadcast after they'd come out. It looked like it were after he was handed off to Lexi. The image was of the team and Sara rather happily face timing with an Angarian. His eyebrow quirked upwards at the image. Well, this was new.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" a soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. He glanced over to the person in question, eyes readjusting to the darkness. Sara was back upright looking rather tired herself in this light. She had her arms behind her back and stretching out some of the discomfort from sleeping in such a weird position.

"I've had six-hundred years and a coma's worth of rest. I think I'll be good." he quipped back with a small smile. "Besides, I don't have time to sleep. Need to figure out a way to one up all your antics. Maybe I could save _two_ galaxies."

Even in the dark room he could tell she was rolling her eyes. Scott preferred using humor to keep his thoughts and feelings at bay. It helped, just about. Sara slowly pushed herself up from the chair and made her way over to sit on the edge of the bed with Scott. By now the datapad had been switched off and pushed back into it's place on the bedside table. Sara leaned against him, tilting her head to rest on his shoulder. It was a huge comfort for the both of them, even if Scott still had a lot of thoughts to get through with her.

"Can I ask why you were sleeping at the table?" he asked rather casually. Not the first time he'd found her slumped over some kind of work.

"Someone was hogging the bed… that and I didn't want you to wake up alone"

Scott reached out to take a hold of her hand, giving it an appreciative squeeze between the two of them. They'd been through a lot together even before joining the initiative. Having been practically inseparable as children, as adults though, he was still trying to figure out where he fit in her life. He worried about missing out on key parts of Sara's life. Scott wished he could be reassured by this moment simply sitting with his sister, but Sara was still keeping things from him and it killed him a little on the inside.

"Were you ever going to tell me you died? I would have made you a get well soon card, or maybe have tied a balloon to your leg"

She didn't answer or make any attempt to move, possibly to process what he'd just asked or to think of her reasoning behind it all. Either way Scott slowly felt more and more bothered by her silence.

Finally Sara pulled her head away, but kept a tight grip around his hand. She gave him a remorseful glance when her eyes found his. He kept his face hardened, not wanting to give away any hint of how hurt he had been to find this out from anyone but her. The last thing Scott wanted to do was wake their mom up to tell her he was all she had left. He just couldn't bring himself do it, he won't.

"I thought we weren't keeping secrets anymore" he spoke more seriously, no humor in his voice.

"It's not something I could really tell you over vidcom, I was waiting for the right moment for it all." She let out a small and weary sigh. "Besides I shouldn't have to defend this. You saw what the Archon was capable of firsthand. It was either temporary death, or something a whole lot worse at his hands."

Finding the right moment seemed like a long shot, but still his features softened to her words. Sara had enough on her plate and he was letting this hurt get the better of him. They were both alive when they probably shouldn't have been. She'd done the impossible and he was still griping over the smaller problems on the whole scale of things. Scott was beginning to realize how selfish it might have been to want a bigger role in her life. Was it really too much to ask for?

"Still, you should have told me" he leaned over a fraction to nudge her affectionately, subtly letting her know he wasn't angry for the choices she'd made. He didn't need to outright say the words. Maybe if he'd been in that position himself his own choices wouldn't have been much different. "So SAM really did stop your heart and bring you back, huh."

 _"Affirmative."_ The voice of the AI spoke up again, something Scott was still getting used to. He was always there, lingering in the background ready to assist.

"Think you can turn that into a cool party trick for me?" He smiled some more when Sara scoffed at his words with a shake of her head. She smiled too though, they were out of the red zone. Scott gave her a thin smile back.

"Don't get cocky, the last thing I need is to kick your ass back into shape" she smiled to her words as Scott feigned some indignance in response.

"Those are some fighting words coming from someone who's never bested me in a game of soccer."

"We were kids! Plus I've been practicing recently with Liam, so bring it jerk."

"Liam, huh? Cool. If I'm being honest, I was expecting something more alien sounding."

"What? No! …no. That- that's not the same person."

Sara threw out a rather confused look until it clicked. As soon as she'd realized who he meant, her cheeks quickly flushed red. Stumbling over her words as she was suddenly put on the spot. Scott found her reaction highly amusing. It was always good fun to get Sara squirming on certain topics. He couldn't really say he'd been surprised she'd been drawn to a new species. She'd always had such a wanderlust for the Protheans, she must have been like a child in a candy store with a whole new galaxy to explore.

"His name is Jaal" she spoke a little more shyly, a rather fond smile etching her lips at the thought of him. Scott had tilted his head to watch her curiously. This was certainly a whole lot different to any past romances she'd mentioned. He saw the light in her eyes which made him glad she'd not been so alone this whole time.

"You really like him, don't you?"

"I love him Scott."

"Well shit, no chance I can scare him away?"

"Definitely not."

"You know it's my job to intimidate him a little."

"Yeeeaaah good luck with that."

They both broke out into a smile at one another. Scott was genuinely happy for her, why wouldn't he be? Sara seemed happy with this guy and that's all that mattered to him. So long as he took care of her Scott would keep himself out of it. He didn't make a habit of getting involved in his sister's love life, just as she'd stay out of his. They talked about those sort of things occasionally, but there wasn't much to tell. They'd been more dedicated to their work to really take on a full blown romance. At least for Scott that was the case. Didn't stop him from playing the field, he'd just never found anyone worth sticking around for.

"Scott?"

Pulling himself out of his thoughts his blue eyes rested on her own blue hues. Sara's had been a shade lighter than his own, more like their mothers. Her expression had dropped back to something more neutral once she'd caught his attention.

"Since we're on the whole not keeping secrets thing… There's something else you should know about. Something to do with unlocking dads files in the archives."

His own reaction went from curiosity to something more concerned. The last time Sara had come to him about dad's secrets they'd found out their mother was alive and in cryo. Part of him hoped there was more to that. Maybe a lead or a cure or… anything really. Something to give him hope. Sara's face was hard to read, but it felt like a long shot on it being good news.

There they were, the two Ryder siblings sitting in almost complete darkness side by side having defied all odds so far. Pathfinders and adventurers, Sara knew it wasn't over yet. They were the very last line for humanity. They couldn't sit in the dark forever.

"SAM, play the two final decrypted audio logs from dad's personal logs."

 _"One moment please."_


	2. Chapter 2

"A reaper attack?"

Scott echoed the same words as that which came from the distressed audio logs. They'd been static, choppy at best, but the despair in every sentence were as clear as day. He sat beside Sara on the edge of the bed, hand still holding hers, dumbfounded by what she'd just revealed. This might have been the final audio files to come from the Milky Way. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that their last messages were cries of help.

Sara's face was pale as she watched her brother reel at the news, she'd already had time to process it, though it didn't make relistening to it any easier. "The human spectre, Commander Shepard, had given warnings prior to the attack but the council dismissed their claims."

Scott realized why reapers sounded so familiar. Back when he was working for the alliance, overseeing one of the mass relays, news of the human spectres accomplishments spread like wildfire. Rumors mostly. Sarens attack apparently being a front for something more. Not everyone believed what Shepard had claimed to be the truth. For Scott, it was mostly just brief conversations and speculations with coworkers while on breaks. Not something he'd have ever thought about until now. His life in the Milky Way felt like a distant memory. With everything happening in Andromeda the rest seemed like background noise in comparison.

"Does anyone else know?"

Scott tried to make sense of it all, to find out who else was in on this. He needed more information before he could connect the dots. The distress messages came from both Palaven and Earth. A galaxy wide alert had been called by both. So while the messages hadn't been directly sent to the initiative, they must have been within range while on route to their new home. Whatever happened would have gone down not long after they jumped ship.

Scott couldn't get that noise out of his mind. That godawful booming of something entirely inhuman. It had drowned out most of the screaming and explosions in the Palaven audio, all before it abruptly cut out and leaving them with silence. That had to be the thing, a reaper. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Exactly who else knew about this? Why all the secrecy?

"I don't know if Tann or anyone else knows. I've not said a word to anyone about this. The only people who seem to know anything are Jien Garson, dad, and now us. So... just us." Sara tried to keep to the facts. As selfish as it were, she felt some of the weight lifted from her shoulders having someone else to talk to about this. She'd been terrified to bring this up with anyone else. Not even Jaal knew, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to burden him with problems of another species. "There's also some mysterious benefactor who pushed for the Initiative project to be finished in time. Dad collaborated with them - _a lot_ \- but they never revealed themselves in his memories."

Scott stared towards the empty space ahead of them. He could just about make out the kitchen, more importantly the coffee machine mom had gotten for dad. It was strange to think of how many sentimental items littered the room. All the guns displayed had a story to tell. All the memories. Could Sara see them all through dads eyes? Or was it just the ones he wanted her to see?

SAM hadn't been directed to light up the room, but gradually the lights began to brighten. It'd been Sara's turn to sit in an uncomfortable silence, her fingers wrapped around his had been the only reminder they were still sitting together.

Scott's mind raced with so many questions and not enough answers. Maybe there was a way to find out more information. Someone had to know something. There could also be a chance of more logs Sara hadn't unlocked. Or maybe a way for them to look back to the Milky Way - just as the Geth had figured out how to look to Andromeda. While they didn't have access to relay technology, they had SAM. Not only that but they were sitting in a sphere of remnant technology. Sure they didn't exactly know how it worked but it wasn't like they'd found an instruction manual for the relays either. Scott eventually felt the sense of despair settle in and weigh down his shoulders, his mind went to great lengths to find something feasible. Realistically he knew he was grasping at straws.

She couldn't read his mind, as much as she wished she could. They used to pretend that they could as kids, rehearse lines for the other to finish and weird out anyone that was paying attention. Sometimes it was a little too convincing. Dad had been so angry when he'd been called to Earth to stop by their school (for the first and only time mind you) over concerns for 'potential biotics', all Scott's idea obviously. He had always loved thinking up elaborate pranks, Sara could never resist going along with his wild ideas.

"We have to tell everyone. We can't keep this to ourselves."

Scotts voice was firm, she could practically hear their dad in his tone. So commanding and cold. He broke away from staring into the empty space to search her eyes. Looking for that same acceptance he once got when they were kids. Back when they were full of big dreams and wild hopes. Instead he received quite the opposite. They weren't those starry eyed kids anymore. People's lives were on the line with any decisions they made.

"What? Have you completely lost your mind?! No good will come from telling."

She pulled back away from him quickly, hand becoming her own once more and face contorting into a disapproving frown. Scott was being ridiculous if he thought this would help. It'd send everyone into a panic and they had enough on their plate to deal with. They'd gotten a home, sure, but Andromeda was still dangerous for their people.

"They deserve to know the truth. We signed up for expansion and exploration, not being some last hope for our species."

He couldn't help but wonder just how many people would have been on board if they knew they might potentially be the last of their kind. Less than two thousand Krogans had come over to Andromeda and according to news reports they almost lost everything when their seed vault was taken. People had left behind friends and family, some species being able to outlive six hundred years so would have still been kicking around back in the Milky Way right about now if things hadn't gone the way they had. Running from a reaper invasion wasn't part of that plan.

"Don't you think I know that? We need a plan, this isn't like fighting the Kett. You can't go barreling into it, guns blazing - not until we know more. There's that benefactor we don't know about and I have a feeling they're involved with Garsons death. Finding that out should be our priority."

She was right, she was always right. Scott stood quickly to move further away from her. More annoyed at her words than anything. His hand going back to his abdomen while he gritted through the shooting pains once more. The sudden movements had been enough for him to start seeing spots ahead. Moving forward slowly he reached out to steady himself against the bookcase. Everything hurt and now he was learning of more secrets their dad kept from them. He couldn't help but feel just a little resentful over it all.

"So are you ordering me to keep quiet as my sister, or as the pathfinder?"

"Jesus Scott, are you even listening to yourself?!"

 _"Ryders, I am detecting an increase in your vitals. Please allow me to contact doc-"_

"Not now, SAM!"

They both snapped in unison, neither looking at the other person. Sara stayed seated in her position at the edge of the bed, refusing to rise to his level. Both were too stubborn to yield. Sara sighed while Scott stayed completely silent. He hated all of this, none of it felt right. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he also knew Sara hadn't gotten them this far without making tough decisions. Sighing, his shoulders slumped and he pushed himself off of the bookcase. The dizziness had passed and he could hold himself upright without any assistance. His other hand still gripping his abdomen. Lexi would be having a fit if she could see the pair.

"Dad kept this a secret for a reason. If we-"

" _Dad_ isn't the greatest example for keeping secrets, just look at where it got him!"

"Enough!"

She jumped to her feet, face flushed bright red as her temper flared for the first time. Her hand went static with her biotics, threatening to lose control. Scott hasn't seen her this mad in a long time. He bowed his head, eyes to the ground, already feeling the regret over his choice of words. Sara had been there for their dad's final moments, Scott hadn't. Their dad chose her as pathfinder with good reason. Scott just wished he could have said goodbye, to tell him he was sorry for being the screwup. Sara glared holes into the back of his head while she stormed off out of the room without another word.

 _"Scott, Dr.T'Perro's request for you to remain under observation for an additional week has just been approved by the Pathfinder. Please see in the medbay at your earliest convenience. Also, preparations for Landing Day celebrations are underway, might I suggest showering?"_

His fist pounded against the bookcase, jaw clenching. Scott made no attempts to move, he couldn't. Everything hurt and now Sara was doing what she could to keep him as far away as she could. God fucking dammit.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Major love to those who've taken time to read this far. Thank you for all the feedback!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Sorry about the delay, irl has been busy this month. Hopefully this longer chapter makes up for the wait.  
**_ _ **Thanks again for reading this far. Review please? All feedback is massively appreciated :D**_

* * *

Landing Day celebrations were already underway. The decorations were crudely made as a last minute ordeal. The main focus being more on conversations, drinking and of course the music. The sight of an early afternoon Meridian could be seen through the windows. Scott mostly glued himself to the sidelines; partially to avoid his sister after their argument earlier that morning, and partially to avoid Lexi - _or really any other doctor_ \- which might send him to medbay. He'd not gone to see Harry as instructed by SAM, having been in no mood to be poked and prodded. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about why he was in a foul mood on such a joyous occasion.

Sara had extended his stay so it meant he still had to wait around some more. That was enough reason for him to be sitting in the corner of the room, drinking. Not that he should really be consuming any alcohol while he recovered. He knew he wasn't anywhere near being back to his old self anytime soon, but alcohol sure seemed to help though. The metallic cup was lifted up to his lips once more, downing yet another mouthful of the bitter taste. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of someone heading towards him. Looked to be a Turian, red markings painted her white face.

Scott realized he was bound to get caught eventually, just perfect. He continued to drink and ignore her presence until she got closer.

"So you're Scott Ryder, the pathfinder's brother? I thought I recognized you."

He slowly lowers the cup to his lap, not getting up from where he was seated or making any sort of attempt to greet her. He neither smiled nor scowled, "That's right, and you are?" His tone icy. Not at all welcoming or intending to be.

"Oh! Right, yes. Sorry - I should have started with names first. I'm Sidera Nyx, but you can just call me Sid. You might have seen me about on the Nexus, I'm pretty sure saw you about. I worked in communications. My sisters on the pathfinding team too, Vetra Nyx?" She seemed timid, shy even, to be approaching Scott. There was also a hopeful look in her eyes too. Sid was happy to be there, to finally get to meet him. She knew Sara visited him as often as she could while he'd been in a coma. Family meant everything to the pathfinder, Sid could relate to that.

Scott gave her a perplexed look, having braced himself for an entirely different conversation which he'd built up in his head. As if anyone coming to speak to him would have been to cart him off to medical. "Alright… so just to be clear, you're definitely not here to confiscate my drink?" His cold expression had softened some, eyebrow arching when he questioned her.

She let out a small laugh, finally moving over to take the vacant seat beside him. "Vetra might have, but I won't tell if you don't." Sid boldly reached out to take his drink out of his hands and sip it before handing it back to him. She'd been old enough to drink, but Vetra was always over-protective about Sid doing pretty much anything. Though things have started to change between the sisters. Vetra is trusting Sid more and in turn Sid was doing her best to show she could be trusted… sort of.

Once it was back in his own hands, Scott shook his head. A thin smile formed on his lips. He let his guard down some more, relaxing back into his seat. "I can keep a secret." Scott could definitely keep a secret, maybe a little too well. With thoughts going back to his talk with Sara, he glanced away to look out to the vast forests and mountains of Meridian. The inward curvature of the planet meant the view could be seen from all windows. It baffled his mind that the planet worked in that way, entirely crafted from remnant technology. He had the next week of these views to ponder more on it.

"Good to know." Her eyes followed his, taking in the stunning views. After a moment of silence between them, she leaned in to talk in a more hushed tone, catching Scott's attention almost immediately. "So a little bird told me you won't be on the Tempest for some time? Is that true?"

Really nothing stayed quiet for long, no wonder he was able to find out so much information while living on the Nexus. Bunch of gossips. "Yeah it's true. Medical wants to monitor me. Does this little bird also happen to mention a way to get around that? No backdoor or something to bypass the system?" He brought the drink to his lips again, eyeing up Sid in the hopes that she might have had something solid for him. A get out of jail free card would really come in handy right about now.

Her mandibles twitched at the thought, talon coming up to run along one. "Hmmm, don't think I have any contacts that could help with that, at least not without it being noticed anyway. You're quite the celebrity. Guess you'll just have to power through it, that or hold onto an apple to keep them away." She kept the humor in her tone, hoping to ease the bad news with a more human-related joke.

Scott scrunched up his face at being called a celebrity, he felt like he'd done absolutely nothing to earn that. It was all his sisters doing and now he seemed to be piggybacking off of her successes. That made it all the worse for him. "Damn - but hang on, didn't you somehow acquire the genome for cats?" Oh yes, Scott had heard about that one alright. Cats were eventually going to be made available on the Nexus because of Sid. His eyebrow arched questionably in her direction once more.

A loud scoff escaped her lips. "Hey now, that was _super_ important to collect! Everybody likes cats, they're a necessity to keep everything running smoothly on the Nexus." Sid caught the look Scott gave her while she was talking and laughed. Didn't seem like there would be any way of convincing him it really was something she needed. Cats were an integral part of her morning routine before work. "Fine, fine, I'll ask around" she relented, smiling more now. At least Scott was easy to talk to, not as cagey as she was expecting him to be.

Knocking back the last of his drink he placed the empty cup on the counter and pushed it away from himself. It slid to a stop beside a few other empty drinks that sat on the counter not far from them. Some of those were his, but the rest were from strangers that're dancing nearby. The music was blasting through the speakers on the other side of the room. It was upbeat and had most of the room but the pair dancing along to it. Scott already felt lighter after the talk with Sid, his mood had lifted. Though he knew alcohol sure helped with that buzz.

Sid stood slowly, rolling back her shoulders in a small stretch, "Alright well I better head off, gotta go say bye to everyone before they leave. You should do the same, might not see them again til they come pick you up." Before she could head off a hand suddenly took a hold of her wrist, grounding her in place. It had been Scott, having leaned forward from his seat to catch her. His face more serious now.

"Wait. They're leaving? Today?!" His scowl deepened at the realization. _They're leaving me?!_ He couldn't help but feel bitter about that. It would have been unrealistic for the pathfinding team to wait a week. He got that, sort of, but to go so soon? Was it because of his argument with Sara? He swallowed back a thick lump in his throat and let go of Sid's arm.

"Yeah, you didn't know? Shit, sorry you had to find like this. I heard the Tempest is still being loaded up with supplies, so you've got about an hour left before they do" she answered back, not at all minding that Scott had grabbed her. Had it been someone else though, she might not have been so understanding. "You should go say bye while you can, I'll see you around."

Before he could open his mouth again, Sid was off. He slumped back into his seat, left alone again with his thoughts. Going for his drink he remembered that he'd already emptied it. Scott let out an irritated sigh, feeling defeated already. He didn't want to say goodbye because it would mean he'd also need to apologize to Sara. They weren't exactly on talking terms just yet and he sure as hell wasn't about to apologize. However, not saying goodbye also meant he'd be completely alone again and if something happened to his sister... he wouldn't forgive himself. Neither option was great and Scott felt trapped.

Then, it was as if a light came on. A third option he'd not even considered until now. He did have a get out of jail free card. He just needed to break a rule or two to make it happen.

Scott needed to sneak onto that ship.

-xXx-

Making his way outside without drawing any attention to himself had been easy enough. The other residents partying were enough to keep security preoccupied. Once he was out, Scott used his tactical cloak to go from cover to cover to avoid being seen. The first time he'd used it, the damn thing stuttered and brought him back into view while he was running towards some more cover. He only hoped it was because of him still recovering, he'd been out of action for so long. All of the running and tech skills he was using to get to the docks was putting all kinds of strain on his body. Once the docks were finally in view, he stopped to catch his breath and assess the area more carefully.

Large crates were scattered around nearby the Tempest, maybe a dozen workers getting them up and onto the ship using the opened ramp. That was going to be Scott's way in. He just needed to get on the ship and hide out somewhere until they took off, then he was home free. Not the greatest plan in the world, but if it meant he didn't need to spend another week waiting about for an adventure it was his only way out.

The drinks had helped numb him to the discomfort which came from crouching behind a bush, he could feel the tingle in his abdomen but chose to ignore it. Lexi could check him out once she's figured out there's an extra person on the ship. Imagining what her reaction would be like caused him to grimace. She won't be kind with needles, that's for sure. Should be worth it, maybe. Better than being stuck waiting around though.

 _"Ryder. I would advise against doing this, Doctor Carlyle still needs to see you."_

"Harry can kiss my ass, I'm getting on that ship. So stop complaining and help me." Scott grumbled under his breath, head peeking around the corner of the bush to get a headcount of the workers on the dock. About a dozen or so from what he could see. As tipsy as he'd felt from the drinking, all the training dad had given still felt like second nature to him. This kind of work could be done in his sleep.

 _"... Acknowledged."_ SAM spoke reluctantly, pausing for a moment while they assessed the pathfinder's surroundings. _"The group of crates further up, to your left, should provide more cover and a faster route to the ramp. Once there I'll cause a temporary disruption to the workers scanners, this should give enough of a distraction for you to get to the ramp without being seen."_

Scotts chest puffed up with a newfound sense of confidence after winning an argument with the AI. It really shouldn't count it as a win, but he was totally marking it down as one. Now that SAM was on board with his plans he was ready. Sucking in a deep breath he bides his time until he could see an opening. No sooner had the opportunity arose he took it, shooting out from behind the bush he sprinted towards the crates.

His tactical cloak covered him for the main stretch of the run. Weaving around a couple of other crates until he could get to the cluster which SAM had pointed out. There were gaps between each crate just wide enough for Scott to squeeze through. Once between them he had a full cover from pretty much all angles. SAM was right about it being the best route. Scott silently thanked him for that. Once he was certain he'd not been spotted and was safe, Scott dropped to the floor and gritted his teeth against the sharp shooting pain going through his entire body. He might have pushed a little too hard during that last stretch to get there. With his back against the crates he dropped his head back to stare up at the sky… or in this case more sights of Meridian.

 _"Ryder-"_

"Quiet, SAM. Just get the disruption ready" he shot back as quietly as he could through another wave of pain. He knew the AI was only going to send him a warning about his condition. Scott really didn't need reminding, his body was already telling him. He placed his hand back on his abdomen, pressing against it until the pain slowly subsided to something more bearable.

One crate beside him began to glow blue, then another, then the third. Before he knew it all of the crates that had surrounded him were glowing and slowly shifting. Scott sat in a stunned silence as the crates that had kept him safely hidden suddenly rose up off the ground. Higher and higher until a blonde woman came into view. The crate she'd been standing behind raised up over her head to reveal an unimpressed glare directed at Scott. She'd had her arms outstretched and both palms glowing the same hue of blue as the crates. Game over.

 _"I did try to warn you, Pathfinder"_

Getting an 'I told you so' by a goddamn AI. One-one SAM, one-one. This wasn't over.

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you I was just inventory checking?" Scott spoke out, a dopey smile brightening up his face. The hand on his abdomen slid away to rest on the ground beside him, supporting his body now that the crate he'd been leaning up against had floated away. He stared up at he with his blue puppy-dog eyes with every intention of chipping away at her hardened resolve. Scott already knew the jig was up, there was no way he was going to talk his way out of this one. It was always fun to try. He wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't majorly disappointed he'd been caught, but Cora's reaction was priceless. Being caught by her instead of some purple potato made it all the better.

"Oh, you thought you were being sneaky? Please, I've had front row tickets to this entire mess since you came outside. I knew you were up to something." She scoffed with a small chuckle at his blasé attitude, he had some nerve. A few of the dock workers had stopped dead in their tracks to watch the spectacle. Having been completely unaware of the couple's presence up until now, it wasn't everyday one would see a biotic in action. Cora was well aware that curious eyes were on them. She shifted some of the crates out of their path, then carefully placed them back down to the ground. Her arm dropping idly to her side. There was some discomfort in being watched while she used biotics. "I'm Lieutenant Cora Harper, part of the pathfinding team. That job description was also updated to include babysitting a certain younger brother, apparently."

Scott, who had still been casually lounging around on the ground like this was his plan the entire time, groaned and rolled his eyes at the jab. Sara loved to remind him of that. "She was ahead of me by one minute, barely anything." Slowly he began to pull himself back up to his feet, hands patting off the dirt from his trousers once he was upright. "Can't say being babysat by an attractive nanny is the worst situation to be in…" he shrugged at his own comment, eyes casting back up to her face as he watched for a reaction.

"Now she'll be getting ahead of you by two weeks if you keep this up" Cora warned him, still with a straight poker face and barely a smile. Scott caught the slight tint of red appearing on her cheeks though. He inwardly smiled to himself over that. If she was going to play it off, that was fine by him. Cora turned on her heels and set off in the opposite direction, going back towards the remains of their Hyperion Ark. This was home for their people now, or at least it was going to be.

"I thought it was one week?" he jogged on after her, catching up with her pace and walking alongside her.

"For now that still stands, but if Sara finds out you were attempting to sneak back onto the Tempest… you should know better than anyone how she'll react to that. I can smell the alcohol on you too."

"Well I sure as hell won't be telling her, and SAM ain't no snitch - I think." He looked a little unsure of his own answer, lolling his head from side to side when he added in, "We've been working hard on our communication skills, and it was one drink" he lied nonchalantly.

 _"Scott seems to enjoy keeping score."_ The voice of the AI spoke to them both. Cora couldn't resist smirking a little at that, all while Scott pulled a face. SAM was no wing-man, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying his luck.

"So that only leaves you to spill the beans, Lieutenant Harper. Don't you think a week here is punishment enough? Are you really wanting to go another week without me on board? I've been told I can be a lot of fun to be around."

Cora stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him, bringing Scott to a halt just inches away from her. Her brown eyes squinted back at his blue ones. Scott really had no shame in laying it on her with the heavy flirting. His smirk said as much.

"Since you put it like that…" she hummed thoughtfully, her voice as sweet as sugar. Cora made a show of acting like she was going over her decision. For a second there, Scott believed he really had gotten away with it. "SAM, send Sara a brief summary of today's encounter." That thought he'd had quickly came crashing down, it was as if a ton of bricks had dropped down onto him. Cora's message sobered him up quickly, eyes widening. Before he could argue, the robotic voice spoke up first.

 _"The notes were sent."_

"SAM you fucking snitch." Scott scowled, Cora looked more amused than ever.

 _"According to your score keeping, I'm certain that this should mean two-one."_

…did he seriously just say that? Scott stayed planted in place, realizing he should probably go hang out with Harry before Sara finds him alone. The blonde made her exit without another word. She was either playing hard to get, or had completely shot him down in the most brutal of ways. Setting his sister on him, that was a low blow.


	4. Chapter 4

The medbay was busier than ever, having still housed the majority of the injured from the fight for Meridian. Very few had come out unscathed from the war against the Kett. Those that had been signed off from medical were back out there; either to drive any remaining Kett back from the galaxy, or searching for those that never made it home after the war. Nothing would be the same again for their people.

The atmosphere within the medbay was entirely different to that just outside the walls. Many people were still celebrating their new home, even if Landing Day had been more than a week ago. Finally settling into a permanent home was a new and exciting endeavor, something to be celebrated, and so it should be. Scott wished he could feel the same way about it all. Having been up close and personal with the Archon himself, it had changed him in more ways than he cared to admit. When he did sleep it was often riddled with devastating news about the Milky Way had him questioning everything. Instead of sleeping he dug into the archives to try and find out more. That felt more important than revisiting his nightmares.

Scott got comfortable on the bed he'd been assigned to. He glanced around anxiously, tired eyes scanning the room around him. His hands rested either side of him, thumbs tapping away against the thin sheet covering the mattress. He disliked taking up space which could be used for someone who really needed it. With the lack of medical beds available, they'd brought in regular beds to fill up the spaces. Residents had offered up their own beds from apartments and opted to sleep on the floor if it meant it could help someone. Surprisingly, war sometimes brought people together, just as much as it ripped others apart.

This place was ingrained into his memories like a bad hangover. All the time he'd spent here after waking up from his coma. He couldn't count the amount of times he'd stared up at the ceiling, looking for all of the imperfections and dents. Now that the place was more crowded it made him feel closed in, something he'd never really experienced before. He hated how tightly packed it all was. None of the medical staff seemed to be taking their breaks, going from one patient to the next. Only stopping to wipe the sweat from their brows or to catch their breath. So busy, so loud. It was a wonder anyone could really think in here.

 _"Harry can kiss my ass"_ The grey-haired doctor waltzed around the end of his bed, head down and reading out a snippet from the datapad in his hands. "Interesting choice of words, Scott. Ever going to tell me what you meant by that?" He looked more amused with himself. Scott felt the heat rise to his cheeks.

The first time he'd been to see Harry after trying to sneak onto the Tempest, the doctor started off with that same quote. He was taunting him. It had gotten Scott blushing furiously then too. Harry was one of the few who he'd never gone out of his way to flirt with, but the thoughts had still been there. It was like the older male sensed this and picked at it occasionally. Maybe he just really enjoyed making Scott squirm. The pathfinder had always loved toying with the idea of something he couldn't have, just not one to act on it.

"All I'm saying is; SAM likes to embellish his notes" he lied rather poorly, solemnly shaking his head in an attempt to make it seem more realistic. What would the alternative be? _Yes, hello doctor, please kiss my ass?_ Either way his comment was enough to bring out a low bellied laugh from Harry. He could see through Scott's white lie, but knew to leave that well enough alone for the sake of their working relationship. Getting him to squirm a little was all in good jest, making him uncomfortable was crossing the line.

Back at the Nexus they'd spent enough time together to get over some of the professionalism. It's the only reason Harry was brave enough to poke fun at him. Scott felt familiar enough with the older doctor for him to be considered a close friend rather than being just his doctor. Right now though that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Scott didn't want a friend or a doctor.

All humor aside, the young pathfinder had been under observation for almost two weeks now and his team would be back any day. Harry had a growing concern for him. While he knew Lexi would be more than capable of taking over Scott's care, his unease wasn't going to dissipate overnight. "So tell me about these abdominal pains, any other symptoms? Headaches? Nausea? Biotic malfunctions?" He lowered the datapad to regard Scott more seriously. Even if they were more like friends, being a doctor and taking care of his patient came first. "Lie back, please" he instructed, hand gesturing to the bed Scott was perched upon.

Scott did as he was told without question, going back to staring up at the ceiling and counting the imperfections. Hand resting over the other on his chest. "No, nothing like that. It's nothing. If I push myself too hard I get stitch is all, but everyone gets that. I'm doing okay. Besides, they haven't happened since Landing Day when I attempted my great escape. So nothing to worry about." He shrugged at his words, openly admitting to his attempts to leave. Harry already knew about that though, he'd seen the notes from SAM. The talk of not having anymore problems since was a big fat lie. Just the other day Scott collapsed in the bathroom after showering, completely blacked out for a couple of minutes. If anything, his problems had been getting worse.

"You do realize SAM is sending me reports, right?" Harry tossed a disapproving scowl his way, moving closer to stand beside Scott. His datapad being placed down for the first time. Green eyes studying Scott's face for a moment longer before going back to the task at hand. Harry tugged the pathfinders shirt upwards just enough to expose his abdomen, gently feeling along the muscles for any signs of swelling or other abnormalities. He didn't linger once he was satisfied nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Scott stared up at the ceiling, doing his best to ignore the skin on skin contact. He knew Harry was just doing his job, but god he could imagine those hands wandering elsewhere. His cheeks flushed furiously once again. He counted the imperfections on the ceiling until the warmth of Harry's fingers left his body. Scott let out a small shaky breath and did his best to quickly regain his composure.

Harry paid no attention to Scott's reaction, hands bringing the shirt back down and moving away to go back to his datapad. More notes to be added to Scott's file. He was being extra attentive with his notes so that Lexi would have a more clear understanding of what they were dealing with. Not even Harry was entirely sure yet. It made him all the more determined to find out.

Listening to him tap away at his datapad, Scott made an attempt to fill the silence with some of his usual humor, "Pffft reports. SAM is a goddamn snitch. I bet he embellished-"

"-don't even finish that sentence." Harry warned him sternly, causing Scott to fall silent. It wasn't the time for joking around anymore. Pulling away from the datapad his eyes found the pathfinders. "Scott, your vitals are all over the place, and don't even get me started on those blackouts you're having. If this keeps up we might need to take more drastic precautions; like putting you back in cryo until we find a solution. I need you to start being completely honest with me. We're a team, remember?"

Scott's mind raced back to when he discovered his mom was very much alive. He'd stood in front of her cryo pod with Sara. They'd hoped of maybe one day bringing her back once they'd found a cure. His dad had done everything he could to save their mom before he died, leaving the twins with the final task. The thought of something similar being done to him sent chills through his spine. "Right… yeah, fine. They keep happening." His words were short, some annoyance in his tone. Scott wouldn't dare look back at Harry, opting to stare back at the tiled ceiling instead. Counting more imperfections and dents.

"Alright, that's a good start. I'm going to need more blood samples, a scan, and I'd like to put you on a forty-eight hour observation with someone. SAM's done a great job at keeping an eye on you but when you black out, he's not been able to get any readings. I'm going to need someone to be present for your next episode, so we can get more accurate details on the cause." Clearly the occasional checkups weren't enough, Harry felt so much guilt for not finding out about these problems sooner. With how swamped he'd been in medbay, he'd not been keeping up to date with SAM's reports like he should be doing

Harry wished he could crack some sort of joke right about now. He's no psychologist, not like the brilliant asari that was Lexi T'perro, but he'd quickly caught onto Scott's coping mechanisms being hidden under a sense of humor. The young pathfinder seemed so tired, so damaged. The wounded look he gave while Harry spoke about more testing was enough to break anyone's heart. Harry cleared his throat, speaking in a lighter tone, "So! You can either stay here and be under my supervision, or go back to your pathfinders quarters and have Doctor Ackula personally take care of you there."

"Doctor... _Ackula_?" Scott finally tilted his head back up from the pillow to give Harry a perplexed look. He'd never heard of this person in his life and was entirely unconvinced that was even someone's actual name. It sounded too good to be true. Scott quickly caught onto Harry's intentions. "As in Dracula?"

"Yep. Just don't take him up on his offer to draw blood" Harry smiled faintly, knowing he could never pull off this sort of banter off with anyone else. They'd probably have his head.

"Oh har-de-har, asshole" he mocked back with a loud scoff. That was a truly awful joke, Scott only smiled out of the sheer dreadfulness of it. He couldn't deny that it did help distract his thoughts and ground him once more. Scott nodded back over to him, "What's this guy's real name?"

"Mark Monroe. Bit on the quiet side but he'll take good care of you." Harry smiled back at him reassuringly, relieved to see his joke had done its job. Since landing day a whole lot has changed on the Hyperion. More medical staff from the Nexus have arrived to assist, Mark being one of them. Any patients which could be transferred had been, the rest stayed behind along with a majority of Nexus' medical team. More and more non-essential personnel were being taken out of cryo with each passing day.

"Can I just call him M&M?" Scott quipped back curiously as he sat back up on the bed. A genuine smile on his lips once again. A firm hand was placed on his shoulder, pushing him back down into the bed. Scott seemed surprised by the sudden force but submissively allowed Harry to do as he pleased. He was the doctor after all... along with other thoughts Scott dared not venture into.

"Probably best not to call him that. He's a newbie, so please don't scare him off. We need all the new doctors we can get."

The machinery overhead scanned Scott's entire body, providing them with something far more detailed than what the omni-tools on their arms would have allowed. Harry moved away over towards a piece of machinery not far from the bed. The pathfinders entire skeletal and nervous system lit up within it, slowly spinning around. The doctor assessed it carefully, occasionally tapping in some commands for it to focus on the scan of Scott's abdomen. The pathfinder sat up once again, peering over Harry's shoulder to try and see what he could see. Scott had no clue what to even need to look for, but seeing his scan was interesting nevertheless.

"You're putting me into the hands of a newbie, Harry? I've gotta say, I'm offended." His hand came up to cover his chest, feigning a hurt look all while the older doctor seemed to ignore him. Harry had been distracted by the results of the scan, not the most reassuring thing for Scott. Especially now that joking around was back on the table and not being acknowledged. After another moment of silence Scott spoke up again with more uncertainty in his voice "Doc?"

Harry tilted his head over his shoulder to look back to Scott, offering him a thin smile to try and reassure him. "You're still my priority, Scott - but I have to stay here in the medbay with my other patients. So unless you plan on staying too, I'll have Mark keeping tabs on you." Harry had always thought that Scott reminded him of a younger version of himself. So high sprung and ready to take on the universe. His features softened, some of the concern began ebbing away. Whatever was going on with Scott, at least he wasn't alone. Lexi or himself would be with Scott every step of the way. "Plus, Mark's a good kid. I helped train him up on the Nexus. A lot like you in some ways, only difference is; he knows how to hold his liquor."

Scott scoffed, swinging his legs back off the bed to reposition himself comfortably on the edge once more. "I'm hardly a kid, and we'll see about that." He knew better than to ask what he meant by them being the same in some ways. Tugging his sleeve up he offered his arm for the doctor to draw blood. Head tilting away to avoid looking at the needle which would soon be coming his way. The small pinch in his arm was nothing, nor the blood. It was sharp objects going into his skin which made him squirm a little. So long as he didn't watch he was fine to ignore it.

"If you have any hopes of getting off this Ark you'll stay off the booze. I mean it, Monroe is under strict orders to keep you on the straight and narrow too." Thankfully Harry tried his best to be gentle and swift about the whole procedure. Gloves on he tightening a tourniquet around Scott's arm and locating the vein with ease. Once the vein had been found he disinfected the area then drew one vial of blood. Taping a little cotton over the area he moved away to go label the blood. Scott was a good patient to deal with, always calm and let him do what he needed.

"Yeahhhh no. That's not happening, I'll be good. Promise" Scott pulled his sleeve back down, smiling to himself over the concept of being good. He wouldn't even know where to begin. Out of the twins it was always Sara who had been considered the good one. Scott was more act first, think later. Over the years and the training he'd started to mellow out. Trouble always found him though.

"I'll believe that when I see it" Harry snorted, catching onto that smile of his. The vial of blood was taken away by another staff member and the datapad was back in the doctor's hands. More notes, more things being scheduled now that he had scans. That was everything he needed. "You're done here. I've notified Doctor Monroe to meet you at your quarters."

Best news he'd had all day. Scott felt the rush of relief to be getting out of there. He couldn't wait to get back into the comfort and solitude of his quarters. Even if it did mean spending the next two days with some newbie. Hell, he might just enjoy the array of nicknames Scott would be thinking up for him. "Awesome. Thanks again, doc. See you around" Sliding back off the bed to his feet, he waved off Harry and left before the doctor could find another reason to keep him there. Over his shoulder he caught sight of Harry standing over by the machinery, those green eyes not leaving his scans.


	5. Chapter 5

Turning the corner to wander down the smaller corridor leading to his quarters, Scott noted the two shiny new guards at his door. He'd not had any security around since the Kett hijacked the Hyperion Ark from the Nexus. Even before that it had always been just the one person. Hands stuffed into his pockets he casually approached them. Unsure which to address his eyes flitting between them both before he spoke. "So what's the special occasion? Is someone throwing me a 'Congrats! Surprisingly you've not died yet' party? Because if not, I'm really considering throwing myself one" he questioned with a faint smile as he got closer, more or less amused with his own comment. Scott believed he was funny, that's all that mattered. He knew to expect some doctor from Harry's orders but surprised to see that came with guards packing heat. Coming to a halt beside his door Scott sized them both up.

"No, sir. I'm your usual security from now on, and this one here is for the doctor." The taller male spoke up, nodding over to the scrawnier looking guard on the other side of the corridor. The one that had spoken sported a neatly trimmed beard which matched the equally as short length of dark brown hair. His beard had been longer and fuller than anything Scott could have ever accomplished. It was damn impressive. He'd never been able to grow a full beard, his stubble was as close as he was ever going to get without looking like some crazed hobo. The guard was a lot more burly looking in comparison to Scott too. Broad shoulders, arms crossed and a rifle strap hanging over his left shoulder. The gun resting against his back. Honestly though this guy really didn't need a weapon, he looked like he could crush heads with his bare hands. Scott was kind of thankful this guy was his security guard and not that other one.

The second guard looked like a small scrawny mouse in comparison. Quietly watching the exchange and nodding when the first guard had mentioned him. He had a rather long clean shaven face with wide ears poking out of the mess of blonde hair. He carried a rifle too but Scott would be surprised if he'd ever actually put any of his training to practice. He was gaunt looking, though Scott wasn't one to talk right now. While he'd never admit it, he was definitely self conscious about his own appearance. Always putting effort into styling his hair and wearing nice clothing which hugged his physique well. He liked looking good and knew it'd be the first thing others would judge him on too.

Lately though with the lack of sleep and array of other problems, he carried darker circles under his eyes and had started to care less about his appearance. The most effort he'd done as of late was throw on the first thing he found and use his hand to brush back the mess of hair. Scott didn't have the energy to care, he was more interested in finding out who that mysterious benefactor was or what came of the Milky Way. That was consuming him.

Nodding to the guards comment, he took a step forward which triggered the thick metal doors to gracefully slide open. He moved inside, eyes and ears on the alert for his expected visitor. Doctor Mark Monroe, some newbie from the Nexus according to Harry. Also according to the older silver-haired doctor, he and Scott were very alike. He couldn't help but question what Harry had meant by that. Moving further into the pathfinders quarters, passing the bookcase to his left, the back of the raven haired male came into view. Sitting at the kitchen table, he was wearing a long white lab coat. His dark hair was the first thing Scott noticed, medium length it seemed curly enough to stick out in all directions. It appeared completely unmanageable. The doctor was tinkering with something possibly metal on the table, Scott could hear his hands at work.

"What no greetings? I should at least get a 'hello, I'm invading your privacy for two days', right?" The pathfinder finally opened up with what he thought was a witty one liner, but it caused the doctor ahead to flinch to his words. When the other male did finally whirl round, Scott could see his face better. He had some stubble and wore a pair of black thick rimmed glasses which seemed to keep the unruly hair out of his eyes. The glasses made his piercing blue eyes stand out more against his darker skin tone. He was pretty handsome in a 'I'd totally outsmart you in everything' kind of way.

"Apologies. I was working... so I, uh, often block out other noises." Monroe had his hands on his lap, eyes scrunching up when he hesitated on a word. Seemingly frustrated with himself for doing so. Scott made note that he didn't delve into any details on what exactly he was working on, just that he was working. Not the talkative sort it seemed. He was pretty taken aback by the doctor standing before him. He'd been nothing like Scott had imagined, what with Harry saying they were so alike. "My names Doc-"

"-Doctor Monroe, yeah. Harry told me to expect you." Scott intercepted his introduction, turning away from him to wander idly around the room. He attempted to subtly check his surroundings and make sure the doctor hadn't messed with anything of his, namely his dad's guns or his mom's coffee machine. All his more valuable work was safely hidden away in encrypted files. As much as he trusted the doctor to do his job, he felt highly uncomfortable with the stranger being around his personal possessions. Technically they weren't his, they were the pathfinders, his sisters… but that's basically a fancier way of saying they were his things too. "So it looks like you'll be spending the next forty-eight hours with me. It's a real shame I can't blackout on command. That'd be something, wouldn't it?"

The doctor studied him quietly, listening to Scott talk and crack a joke. He didn't laugh, or really even smile at the banter. Just continued to assess him. He seemed to be quite the uptight sort. "It would. Please continue as you, as you um... normally would. I'll just be here." He gestured back to the kitchen table, lowering himself into the seat and going back to whatever he was originally doing. Covering the table was a briefcase and a few scraps of electronics sprawled out.

"Well normally I'd be stark naked, covered in oil and rolling around on the kitchen floor pretending to be a slug, but since you're here…" he trailed off with a small roll of his eyes, not at all impressed with this new doctor. He didn't have much of a sense of humor. Harry had gotten his hopes so high about these next two days being sort of like a weekend at Bernie's. This doctor wasn't going to be any fun.

Monroe ignored Scott's jest and continued to work. His hands focusing more on the scrap than he was on Scott. This bothered the pathfinder more than he cared to admit. He decided to make it his life goal to get this guy to be less of a bore. Forty-eight hours should be plenty of time. Once he was satisfied nothing had been touched in his room - _yes, his room, suck it Sara_ \- he went back to the kitchen and took up the vacant seat opposite the doctor. It had been the same seat he'd caught Sara sleeping in once he'd woken up after they'd taken down the Archon. It appeared as though this room wasn't quite done with building memories.

"So... Harry tells me you're a newbie?"

"I'm fully qualified now."

"I'm told I should also be saying no to you taking my blood."

"I'm just here to observe."

Monroe's eyes never left the bits of metal in his hands. Carefully putting together some pieces with glue before picking up more. Scott was close to giving up on making conversation altogether.

"Have you been out of cryo long, or are you still defrosting?"

Scott thought he was being funny, but the joke seemed to have hit a nerve. This time the doctor stopped what he was doing to glance up and assess Scott quietly. He was a little too serious for the pathfinders liking. After another moment of silence he finally spoke up, going back to building whatever it was he was working on.

"...I came out of cryo just after the first outpost on Eos was built."

"Oh fun, you missed the rebellions too then."

"Yes. My family were exiled."

Hello foot, here is my mouth. Scott would have kicked himself if he could. His mind began internally screeching at him like some half-crazed pterodactyl. Any questions he'd had lined up all fell through the holes. "Well shit, I'm sorry to hear" he spoke sincerely, arms coming up to lean his elbows on the table and silently beg for some sort of forgiveness. Scott felt like he'd been a real asshole with that defrosting joke.

"Nothing to be sorry for. Let bygones be bygones." Doctor Monroe muttered while gluing a flat metal triangle to the side of the growing ball of scrap in his hands. Now it was starting to take on some shape, Scott realized he was actually building a model spacecraft. That quickly caught his attention. It was something his sister seemed to be obsessed with too. Scott finally felt they were getting somewhere. Leaning forward some more, he watched intently.

"Which model are you making?"

"The SR-1 Normandy."

"Nice, I bet Sara hasn't got that one yet. Where'd you get it?"

"A friend from Kadara brought it for me"

That surprised him, Scott couldn't imagine this guy having any friends. Though he did make a mental note to visit that place sometime. He'd heard about Kadara in the news. Sara had fixed the planet's atmosphere and sorted out some kind of faction dispute. According to the reports, someone named Sloane was back on the throne with the pathfinders help and it meant Sara got her outpost there. Scott tilted his head to glance to his desk with his dad's old computer system setup. SAM's smaller node sat on the desk, giving Scott the idea that maybe SAM could save reminders.

"SAM? You about? You haven't been overly annoying today. I need you to remind me about this next time we're at Kadara. We need to look for some model spacecrafts."

It took a long moment for the node to light up to a brighter hue of blue. The hologram orb slowly turned. The disembodied voice spoke out into the room for both Scott and the doctor to hear. _"Apologies Ryder. I've been diverting more resources to the pathfinder and her team. Since you were with the Ark's medical team, I assumed my absence would not be missed."_

"It wasn't… but what do you mean by more resources for the pathfinder? Is Sara okay? The rest of her team?" Scott was already on his feet, his gut telling him something was wrong. He didn't know if that was normal for SAM to redirect resources. If so, why hadn't he mentioned it before? He wandered closer to the node which was sitting on the desk. Scott watched the blue orb gently turn. SAM's delay in replying was making Scott more anxious.

While he was preoccupied with SAM, the doctor had began packing away his semi-completed model ship, along with the remaining scrap back into his briefcase. Pushing himself up slowly, Mark quietly maneuvered around the table towards Scott.

"SAM, stop formulating some bullshit and tell me straight. Is Sara and the others okay?!"

His anxiety skyrocketed with every step he took to get closer to the desk. He ran every worst case scenario through his mind, his chest caving in with the regret of not apologizing to his sister sooner. He'd been so stupid not to tell her he was sorry. She'd better be okay or he'd find her and make her okay, just so he could kick her ass himself.

 _"They were ambushed, but are safe for the time being."_

Suddenly SAM's voice switched from speaking to the room to talking within his mind. He continued their conversation for only Scott to hear. _"I now suspect the reason why was to divert my attention from you, and it worked. Scott, I'm sensing that the Hyperion Ark has been compromised. Some security protocols have been disabled. You need to leave, now. I'm creating a path for you to follow as we speak. An alert has been sent to the pathfinding team."_

What the shit?! Scott didn't get much chance to let that sink in, he heard the footsteps drawing in closer behind him. His gut was telling him this was bad news and that he shouldn't trust anyone right now. His mind raced with the news of Sara's ambush and now the possibility of being ambushed himself. Allowing his anxiety to be the driving force, his biotics practically doubled in power, spinning around to face the doctor he swung his arm up and hit him with a powerful throw ability. Scott roared as he did so. Face contorting in a mixture of emotions. He needed to get out and find Sara.

Monroe was ripped from feet and thrown backwards, colliding with the display case of guns behind him. Glass shattered and the doctor hit the ground with a thud. Some kind of needle rolled out from his hands. The doctor frantically reached out and grasped for it. Chest heaving, the throw had taken a lot out of Scott. It had been enough for him to start seeing black spots once again. Not now, fuck. He couldn't worry about that now. Scott charged at the doctor, intent on grabbing him by the collar and getting answers from this asshole.

He'd been so focused on Monroe, he could barely hear SAM's urgent requests to get out of there. The heavy metal door slid open with its usual grace and the two security guards came running in. Both had their guns armed and aimed at Scott. Blinking hard to get the spots out of his sight he stopped dead in his tracks. He had no way of stopping them from firing, this was it.

"Don't shoot! We need him alive!" Monroe bellowed out. This guy was a gigantic dickhole, Scott was actually offended that Harry would even suggest that he was anything like him. While the guards had been distracted by the doctors commands, he threw himself backwards to the kitchen table, tossing it upwards to cover himself. The briefcase clattered to the ground.

Scott held his breath and waited until one of the guards came into view. Didn't take long for the scrawnier one to make the first appearance. His gun were still out and looking to aim at Scott, possibly get him to comply with their demands if they had guns trained on him. Bad move, buddy. Once close enough Scott put enough force into his legs to bounce upwards and swing his body into an uppercut. Hitting the guard square in the jaw he stumbled backwards.

There was barely any time for Scott to catch his breath. The other much larger guard closed in. He reached out and grabbed a hold of Scott's arm, dragging him over the overturned table. Scott bellowed out curses and struggled against the other male's grip, still being pulled across the room towards the doctor. His rage built up and he redirected it into his biotics for a second attack. This time though, when his hand pressed against the other male's chest to try another throw, his biotics simply stuttered out into nothing.

The black spots dancing in front of his eyesight had worsened but Scott refused to stop. His free arm swinging wildly to try and knock the guard off course. It was fruitless, the second guard threw him onto the bed and pinned him down. Scott had managed to kick him backwards but before he could make another move the doctor was by his side. Needle in hand and screaming for the guards to hold Scott down.

"No, no, no, no, no, no..." Scott whined, struggling frantically against being restrained. He watched as the needle was pushed into his arm, the contents slowly drained into him. His head felt lighter, falling back into the bed. Voice trailing off into nothing as the room around him turned black.

Hello darkness my old friend.


	6. Chapter 6

Scott held his head in his hands whilst sitting at a table. A mug of half-finished coffee sat directly in front of him. He'd not had the energy to really do much of anything else. Making himself a drink had drained what little energy remained. It still didn't feel real, the fact that his mom was gone. It hadn't set in that the day before was the last time he'd ever get to see her again. While Scott was relieved he gotten the chance to be there and tell her he loved her, he'd started to regret all the times he'd not said it.

The numbness had helped him run on autopilot ever since his family had left the hospital. From there everything had blurred together, it was hard to pinpoint what time they'd made it back home. He'd been doing everything he could to avoid checking the time. It felt like with each minute passing it was pulling him deeper and deeper into his own ocean of grief.

The twins had returned home to spend the final moments with their mother. It had been hard; working away from home in the military and trying to build a life - all while checking in on a terminally ill parent. His dad, Alec, had been less than stellar at keeping Scott involved as far as he was concerned. They'd spoken very little since his mom was diagnosed. Expressing any sort of emotion, outside of disappointment and discipline, was practically unheard of for the older male.

Even though he'd not been much of a father, Scott had seen how hard his father had tried to save his mother. Somewhere under all those hardened layers of his, there was an unconditional love where family was concerned. Alec had spent countless hours working on an AI which in the end still couldn't save her. Scott liked to think this had been his father's way of distracting himself in order to cope. Couldn't have been easy to watch someone you love deteriorate right before your eyes.

A small hand reached out to take a hold of his, redirecting him from the thoughts of his father. It had been Sara joining him at the table. Scott had been so zoned out that he'd not even heard her approach or take a seat. She tugged his hand from his head to come down and rest with her own on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze while doing so. Just her way of offering some reassurances that he wasn't alone in any of this. That they shared the same grief and she was here for him.

Scott let his other arm drop down as he brought his head up. Looking in her direction he got a better look of his twin. Sara's face was still red and puffy, she probably hadn't slept much either. Other than that though, there wasn't really any other indicator that she was hurting. She had a more neutral look about her. Having done her grieving out of sight, she knew it wasn't the time to do so anymore. She had to show strength for her family. He offered her a thin smile, as a silent thanks for her small gesture. It had been enough to pull him out of his own head which he appreciated deeply.

"Dad sent me to come get you, family meeting downstairs." Her voice was soft, reluctantly breaking the silence in the kitchen. "Must be important if he's calling one right now" Scott replied just as quietly, though with a hint of annoyance in his voice. He'd not been impressed with his dad's timing for some big family meeting. These sort of get-togethers were a rare occurrence, having only been called upon when it was a serious matter. The last one they'd had had revealed their mother's illness. A small part of him was incredibly curious as to what was so important for him to want one now. Retracting his hand from Sara's grasp, he slowly pushed the chair back and stood. His whole body felt heavy, even getting up took energy he didn't realize he still had. It felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Picking up his half-finished mug of coffee along, he followed Sara down into the basement.

-xXx-

Alec stayed at his desk as the twins arrived, they slowly shuffled into his office and stood close to the door. Growing up they'd always been told to leave their father alone to work, even while he was home. Even now it seemed natural for the both of them to linger beside a doorway, ready to leave once they'd met their obligations. There was never any reason to stay longer than needed. Scott couldn't ever recall spending any one on one time with Alec which didn't involve work or training.

Growing up, Scott had always loathed that time spent training. As an adult his perspective drastically changed, he'd been thankful that his dad had pushed him. There were very few things Alec could use to relate to his children, but teaching them how to protect themselves was something he knew he could be good at. His training as an N7 came into play over the years with raising kids, but he couldn't deny it was always Ellen that had been the glue that held them together. Alec couldn't have done any of it without her.

Sitting at his desk he'd been tweaking a module of SAM. It was his own personal desk node but refining some of it's programming to make it more efficient would be beneficial to future productions. Hearing the door to his office open, he promptly placed his work back down onto the desk. Speaking calmly, his eyes flitted from Sara who was first through the door to Scott, "You're both here, good. There's a few things we've been needing to discuss." After yesterday he knew he needed to tell them of his plans going forward. Not everything, no, in time he'd tell them everything. For now they just needed to get on board with what he was about to say. He didn't want to preemptively get their hopes up about their mother.

"There's more to SAM than your mother and I ever told you about. This piece of technology has put me into contact with some influential figures with a highly confidential project. I don't think I need to explain the gravity of keeping this information to yourselves."

"Dad, is this really the time?" Sara urged, her voice still quieter than her usual tone. It had been exactly what Scott was thinking but she'd beat him to the punch. He brought the mug up to his lips, knocking back a mouthful of the luke-warm beverage. It was a welcomed distraction from this meeting, even if the temperature was less than ideal. Alec leaned forward in his seat, arms coming up to rest on the table, one hand over the other.

"Just let me finish. This project will be taking me to the Andromeda Galaxy, it's a one way ticket with several hundred years in stasis to get there. The goal is to establish a permanent presence and make use of its resources. It'll also help to expand our understanding of science as we know it. I need to know that the two of you will be on board?"

Choking on his drink, Scott swallowed hard. A small amount of coffee came spluttering out as he brought a hand to his mouth and attempted to quell the coughing fit. Sara remained unmoved, standing in a stunned silence, eyes focused only on her father. She held her poker face well, simply assessing the situation they'd found themselves in. Once Scott had caught his breath back, he placed the mug onto the nearest surface and well away from becoming yet another choking hazard. Clearing his throat once more he was the first to speak. Arms came up into a fold over his chest and a skeptical look about him.

"You want us… to go to another galaxy entirely? Let's ignore the fact this has never been attempted before - and with good reason, might I add," he stated loudly. Questioning of his father's sanity as his own thoughts spun from the news. Scotts initial reaction was to think this was just his father's way of trying to outrun his own grief. Surely it couldn't be a viable option yet? Their mass relays helped with travelling through their own galaxy, but as far as he was aware there was nothing like that available for Andromeda. They were still decoding the mystery that was Prothean technology. "You do realize how ridiculous this sounds?"

Of course Alec had expected the news to be met with some questionable disbelief. His son was always one to question his decisions, it had been quite infuriating at the best of times. Thankfully this wasn't one of those times, Alec had come prepared. Leaning away from his desk he reached into one of the draws and pulled out a datapad. Straightening himself back up he extended his arm out to no-one in particular, allowing the twins to decide who would be the first to take it.

Sara wasted no time moving in to swipe the pad from her father's hands, eyes immediately going down to take in the information presented to her. She'd still not spoken since the bombshell came their way. Alec had even more trouble trying to gauge her reaction than Scott did. The twin moved to her side, peering over her shoulder to try and catch some of the display for himself. From what he could gather, it was construction notes of some star ships, designed to carry its passengers in stasis over long distances in dark space… to Andromeda. His eyebrow arched the further he read. Holy shit, dad really wasn't bullshitting them. Scott was at a momentary loss for words, enough time for Sara to finally dive into the discussion. If you could really call it that.

"So, when are we leaving?" She spoke without hesitation, her eyes shifting from the datapad back up to her father. Sara had already made up her mind, it was a no-brainer for her. They needed each other now more than ever. Someone had to help keep the Ryder clan together, she knew if it were up to the other two they'd probably never see each other again. So if her dad was really set on going, then so was she.

"That's it? End of discussion? I'm all for the next grand adventure, but this-" Scott blurted out in dismay, looking visibly more unsettled with how well Sara seemed to be taking the news. His arms dropped from their folded position to reach out and swipe the datapad from Sara's hands. Something like this had to be read over more carefully. Scott was suddenly more alert, paying more attention to detail. Scanning he'd read about one Ark after the next. "This- this is huge. Look, even the drive cores for those Arks are experimental. It's more like a suicide mission if I've ever seen one."

Alec scowled Scotts way, not at all impressed with the younger male's comments. He's seen and endured far worse in his time as an N7 operative. His career was in shambles and he had to hold onto the last thing giving him hope of ever getting Ellen back. Twisting his head to look back to Sara he spoke more stiffly, addressing her question first while Scott continued to read. "Construction is already underway and Jean Garson plans to go public very soon, so we should be leaving in the next year or so if all goes as planned."

Ellen had never left his mind as he spoke, it had helped him keep as neutral as he could about this. Turning his attention back to his son, he was able to bring his voice back to a more neutral tone, allowing the annoyance to pass quickly. "The tests they've run on those drive cores have given promising results. Yes, most of the technology used is experimental, but they're bringing along some of the best scientists and technicians our galaxy has to offer. No mission is without risks, travelling through our first mass relay was considered a suicide mission too. Sometimes we need to take those risks for the bigger rewards."

Pausing he hesitated about speaking further, but ultimately decided that they needed to hear it. "Andromeda is exactly where we need to be. When your back's against the wall-" He was using the same words final words he'd said to Ellen, saying them out loud gave him the resolve he needed to believe he was doing the right thing.

"I know. I know, dad. If you can't run from it, use it... but this feels an awful lot like we're running. What about mom?"

"We're doing this is _for her_ , for us all. A new start. We can stay here and talk logistics all day, but the fact is I'll be going and so will your sister, are you?"

Scott let out a deep sigh, his free hand coming up to run through his hair and scratch the back of his head anxiously. He didn't want to say yes, his initial reaction had been to reject this whole idea. Standing there with both his sister and father expectantly staring back at him though. He was on the edge of caving in. This was where he should have said yes, made a joke about how it was going to be a _blast_ … but something felt very off and he couldn't put his finger on why. He stared back down at the datapad until it finally hit him.

"Exactly how far along is construction?" His hand lowered from his head and moved back to the screen of the datapad. More interest in what he'd just caught. Something about what his father had said and the information provided didn't quite add up. His voice dropped a tone colder, "You've been planning this the whole time mom's been sick?"

"Scott I don't think-" Sara had stepped forward and attempted to speak up first, noticing the rising tension. She tried to play the middleman before this could dissolve into a heated argument. One of which no-one would win, but it was already too late. Scott could physically see the numbers right in front of him didn't add up.

"No! No, I want to hear it from him. How can you say construction is underway when this thing is saying there's an Ark already _there_ , in Andromeda, right this second." He waved the datapad in his father's direction, his free hand frantically pointing out the coordinates listed for the last Ark. None of the others had that, what had been so special with this one? What happened to several hundred years in stasis? None of this was making any sense.

Alec stood abruptly, hands slamming down hard on the table enough to startle both the twins. His face reddened as he lost his cool, something their father hasn't done since they were children. None of this felt right, this wasn't how it was supposed to pan out. Scott had agreed to go, why was this so different now? His thoughts reeled as Alec bellowed out in someone else's contorted voice:

 _"Wake up princess!"_

* * *

 _ **A/N: I promise this all ties in with what's coming up. I hope you enjoy this as much as I've enjoyed writing it.  
**_

 _ **I've been reading all of your comments. Any feedback is massively appreciated, so thank you!**_


End file.
